Sweet Surrender
by Nolongerbeating88
Summary: you must learn to let go of another person's hand to hold another but in letting go, you must be sure which one to let loose. maiko zutara kataang.
1. Chapter 1 Broken strings

_Let me hold you, for the last time,_

_It's the last chance to feel again._

Zuko hates it when Katara cries. He hates it every time her bright blue eyes turns to gray, just like the once blue sky that soon got heavy dark clouds, threatening to rain. But this one right now is a hale. Ha silent storm of frozen rain.

Once they were so happy, Katara and he. Two years after the war they were engaged. And he loved her. But when Mai returned Zuko can't help but love her again. Love Mai more than ever, more than he loves Katara.

_But you broke me now I can't feel anything._

_When I love you is so untrue,_

_I can't even convince myself._

_When I'm speaking it's a voice of someone else._

"Zuko" came her cry that he really hates to hear. He did not respond but she knows that he is listening.

"Please don't leave me." It was a beg and it pierced Zuko's heart.

It's been four years from now. Two years they were happy and the other two years was rough. A week after the return of Mai, katara already knew that Zuko was going to leave her. But afraid of hurting the girl whose heart got shattered a hundred fold already, he could not have the courage to. He stayed with her. It was already out of pity that they were together, no longer out of love. He told her a lot of ' I love yous' to make her believe in this deceitful kingdom of false love that he made. However, every time he tells he of his love, it is not the boy she sees in front of him that he portrays, but the boy in the past ho really loves his ex-girlfriend.

_What tears me up, I try to hold on but it hurts too much._

_I try to forgive but it's not enough,  
to make it all okay_

But this time he could not bear. He is going to do this one for himself. He is going to write his love story were the prince would marry the noble woman, where Zuko would be with Mai. Right now, it condemns him to hear her cry. Instead he just said the word that is lighter but has the same meaning than 'over'.

"I'm sorry" the he walked and sat beside her. And he would hold her one last time before they leave it all behind.

_You can't play on strings,_

_You can't feel anything,_

_That the heart don't want to feel,_

_I can't tell you something that ain't real_

Zuko cradled her in his arms almost not wanting to let go. He knows that after this, there could no longer be them and because of the pain, they could no longer be friends. Everything would be nothing but ruin.

"Katara, you would be the greatest person in my past and I will never love someone the same way that I love you. I love you so much."

"But your love for Mai is greater." She sobbed more no longer capable of controlling her pain. She hugged him tight not wanting to let go. Zuko tilted her he head and made her look at him and for the last time he kissed her. Passionately. A kiss more warmer and emotional than their other kisses.

But Katara knew that this last kiss is not a kisss of love like the first one they shared. This is a kiss of 'I;m sorry; a kiss that spells goodbye. And it hurts.

_Oh the truth hurts but leis worst,_

_How can I give anymore?_

_When I love you a little less than before?_

And so the kiss ended and the Katara-Zuko magic was no more. And he stood up and gave her one last look, trying to memorize her features as he knows it would wilt in his memory threw time. And so he left and shut the door like he shut his heart for her.

_You just can't play with broken strings…._

**Ummm….this is not a one shot by the way…**

**Just wait what happens and as I say, I have a paring in mind I just don't want it to be obvious…ahahahah…but keep reading I promise that I would do my best to keep the emotional atmosphere here. **

**And oh that is not the full song…. Listen to the song it is really nice though. Its just stating a fact that it's really hard to live in a 50-50 relationship.**


	2. Chapter 2 fall for you

Zuko looked at Mai. She was beautiful. She was the woman of his dreams and right now his dreams just came true. He would ask her to marry her, to be the firelady, his queen and his love.

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting__  
__Could it be that we have been this way before__  
__I know you don't think that I am trying__  
__I know you're wearing thin down to the core_

This opportunity, the chance that he waited for so long to come is finally here. Not anyone would take this opportunity from him, _not even the guilt he had for hurting katara, _because he longed for this moment to come. And here he was, standing before the lovely image of Mai, the kind of picture that he missed while she was away.

_But hold your breath__  
__Because tonight will be the night__  
__That I will fall for you__  
__Over again__  
__Don't make me change my mind__  
__Or I won't live to see another day__  
__I swear it's true__  
__Because a girl like you is impossible to find__  
__You're impossible to find_

She touché his cheeks and Agni her hands are warm. He then leaned in to kiss her. The kiss which says I miss you and I love you.

"Zuko, don't ever leave me again" Zuko stared into her eyes and for a moment got lost in it. He merely nodded and kissed her again.

Then, what he did next caught her off guard. He knelt to the ground, and then he pulled a diamond ring and asked her "will you stay with me forever, be my bride and my lady."

Mai almost cried with joy. She was never this happy before. For a while she was mute. So many times they fought, so many times they broke up, and so many heart aches they felt and now, it came to this point. This is the time when every girlfriend would wait to share with their boyfriend. The with tears no falling freely from her eyes. She finally said yes. And so they kissed again.

This is not what I intended  
I always swore to you I'd never fall apart  
You always thought that I was stronger  
I may have failed but I have loved you from the start

_Oh, But hold your breathe__  
__Because tonight will be the night__  
__That I will fall for you__  
__Over again__  
__Don't make me change my mind__  
__Or I won't live to see another day__  
__I swear it's true__  
__Because a girl like you is impossible to find__  
__It's impossible__  
__So breathe in so deep__  
__Breathe me in__  
__I'm yours to keep__  
__And hold on to your words__  
__Cause talk is cheap__  
__And remember me tonight__  
__When you're asleep_

He lay still awake in his bed, unable to sleep. He was to happy to sleep. Mai said yes and he was in cloud nine! The woman he loved, his childhood sweetheart would be his bride. Zuko sighed wondering if Mai is also thinking of him right now.

_Because tonight will be the night__  
__That I will fall for you__  
__Over again__  
__Don't make me change my mind__  
__Or I won't live to see another day__  
__I swear it's true__  
_

He would never let Mai go because she is the girl he had fallen in love with over and over again. And just like the first night they kiss, the first night they fought, the first night they broke up, the first night he left, the first night she left, this night, he fell for he again.

_Because a girl like you is impossible to find_


	3. Chapter 3 you wear my heart

_Dear Zuko,_

_Sometimes, I bleed too much that I expect death to take me anytime. But what pains me the most, is that the death in you never took me, instead you only stare at me while I pour blood unwillingly. No, don't let that smile cease from your face. You my love did nothing wrong. It's not your fault why you loved her…then now, so now, for now or forever somehow, I think I should know how to let go. _

Zuko was running. He was already catching his breath. He needs to find Katara. He made a turn to the small palace tunnel leading to a garden where he knows Katara like sot stay. She was not there. The he remembered Sokka. Of course Sokka would know! What kind of a brother would not know or give a dman about his sister's whereabouts except for him to Azula?

_Being with you are dreams come true. But somehow along the way I realized in my dismay, my dreams are not yours so I must not stay. I serve as a cage to you my, then I think I must break myself and let you go. Zuko you know, you really are death to me. But you were you in my eyes simply because that's how I defined reality. _

The breeze was warm and relaxing that summer afternoon but it was strange that despite the comforting warmth the cloud where seems to be holding there despair about whatever miserable things there might be in heaven. Zuko was sure there was none. Heaven is a place that is peace and harmonious not like here on here that would have a lot of things as ravaging as his lonely heart. He was going to a fire nation meeting later on so he decided to go home and pick his fire nation robes which were however, not with him. He mentally cursed himself. He must have left it on Mai's house. He went on looking for outfits in his closet and the way he was looking for one made him look like a scavenger instead of poised prince. But never mind that for the scavenging was successful anyway for he found the clothes that Katara gave him as birthday gift last month. Then he was undressing and dressing again. He was thinking pof visiting Mai after the meeting is done and his mind was to preoccupied with what to do with Mai when he noticed that there was a loose thread in the right of his sleeve. Not wanting to waste any time than what he already wasted, he tried to bite the thread and pull it out but stopped his action when he noticed something. There in the mirror where the portion of his sleeve was being reflected, he saw a heart of gold sewed in it. He stared at it for a moment. It was surely Katara who did this one and soon he realized something that he did not before. Katara really loved him.

_Every time I hold you, I see you did not emit any feeling at all and every time it's me in your bedside it's always her in your eyesight and kills me to see you sad. So I think I have to go right now. And if you think that I'm crying well I am not!_

The sky was turning orange now. It's already dusk. He found himself outside Sokka's door and knocked hard enough to make the lone man stand up and open up for him.

"Sokka, where is my wife?" Zuko asked him.

"Wife? Which one? Mai or katara?" the tone was of pure sarcasm but Zuko is not going to hold on with this and ignite a fight. No he would never do such a thing since his intentions right now is his sister.

"Katara" he replied.

"Oh" came the fake shock of the later. Then he gestured him to turn around and leave.

"Sokka please I need to see my wife"

"And now she is your wife?" that was said with all the venom that his saliva had became.

"Sokka please! I really need to see katara" now that was a beg.

"No."

"So-

"She's asleep okay? And she is not waking up for you" zuko narrowed his eyes and looked at him and when Sokka was almost close to shutting the door to his face, the last straw fell.

"Daman! I SAID I WANT TO SEE HER! AND I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO SCREAM OUT LOUD JUST SO SHE WOUL WAKE UP! I NEED TO TALKE TO HER!"

"Like that would do any help!" Then he pinned the man for the word he just said.

"I Told you I need to talk to her."

Now it was Sokka's turn to glare daggers at him.

"And I thought I told you that she is asleep and she is not waking up for you? And oh, by the way, no matter how hard you scream she's not gonna here you and she just won't wake up."

Zuko let loose when he realized something was wrong with the statement. He eyed Sokka then the house and the words went loading in his mind.

_When saying sometimes I wish I were Mai is a big lie since it's not always sometimes I wish I am here. So I think I need to leave you seriously. I really need to leave you permanently. Zuko, I am no fool to trap you in my fantasy world where you and I are happy together. You don't have to dishonor yourself if you love her. All you have to do is tell and I'll get out of the isle where the two of you are suppose to walk. _

He pushed his way to Sokka and hurriedly went at Katara's room. He found her there. She was asleep. Then he came closer to her and lay down beside her. He hugged her close and then he was nudging her to wake her up. Useless Zuko, she's dead and when won't wake. Then saw a letter in her hands so began to read the italic penmanship then he began crying. How come he had noticed it just right now? That there was a girl who was always with him and that there was a girl who really loved him? But prince, this is just way too late.

_Katara_

_p.s I love you, my last and sweetest love._


End file.
